Rod rack



Sept. 23, 1930. R. M TIBBETTS ROD RACK Filed Nov. 1924 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

jo er'i Patented Sept. 23, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ROBERT M. TIBBETTS, OF LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF SEVENTY-TWO AND ONE-HALF PER CENT TO, WILLARD L. BUR- ROUGH, 01' LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, AND OF TWENTY-SEVEN AND ONE- HALF PPR CENT TO DAYID G. LORRAINE, F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA ROD RACK Application filed November 4, 1924. Serial No. 747,725.

This invention is a rod rack of the general type disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 711,165, filed May 5, 1924; and it is the object of this invention to simplify the construction of the rod rack and improve the supporting means for the same; and to provide engaging means for the sucker rods which may be readily connected thereto, and which will securely hold the same against accidental displacement, while permitting the convenient removal of said sucker rods from the engaging means when the latter has lifted the rods into the storage means.

It is a further object of the invention to provide means for engaging an elevated sucker rod so as to prevent relative rotation thereof while permitting free turning of the sucker rod and engaglng means relative to a supporting connection, so that the sucker rod may be readily unscrewed from the string of rods extending into a well for lifting the disconnected rod into the storage rack.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accom panying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the rod rack mounted in a well derrick.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of .the crown block of a well derrick showing the method of sus ending the rod rack.

ig. 3 is a plan view of the rod rack.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the rod rack.

Fig. 5 is a detail section through the crown block of the well derrick.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the engagin means for an elevated sucker rod.

ig. 7 is a front elevation of the engaging means. A

The rod rack is illustrated as mounted in a usual well derrick 1 provided with crown block 2 and hoisting cable 3 having the usual elevator 4 connected thereto. The sucker rod, lengths of which are shown at 5, is withdrawn from the well tubing 6 by connecting elevator 4 thereto and hoisting the latter by cable 3.

As the lengths of sucker rod are withdrawn they are engaged by a member suspended in the derrick, and adapted to sup- 59 port the sucker rods so that the elevator may be disconnected therefrom immediately after hoistin the same. The elevator may thus be lowere for connecting the same to the next sucker rod of the string in the well, while the engaging member is unscrewing and lifting the previously withdrawn rod into the storage means.

The engaging member comprises side bars 7 and end bar 8 connecting the same so as to form a rectangular recess open at its opposite end. Suspension arms 9 extend upwardly from bars 7 at the open end of the recess, and for a short distance above said recess are preferably inwardly ofli'set toward one another as shown at 10. The upper ends of arms 9 are connected by a rectangular frame 11 having a plate 12 extending across the same, with a swivel 13, projecting above said plate.

The engaging member is suspended in the derrick so as to permit hoisting thereof, and

- for this purpose a pulley 14 depends from crown-block 2 by a cable 15, and a hoisting cable 16 is connected to swivel 13 and extends over said pulley.

A storage means for sucker rods is mounted in the upper portion of the derrick, and comprises a ase plate 17 having upwardly extending side walls 18, rear wall 19, and front wall 20 spaced rearwardly a short distance from the front end of the base plate. A cross plate 21 extends across the storage frame at the upper ends of the side and front walls thereof.

The storage frame is suspended in the derrick by cables 22 which are received around bearing lugs 23 projecting upwardly from the respective corners of the frame, the upper ends of said cables being connected to supporting plates 24 mounted on crown block 2. The suspended storage frame is held against lateral displacement by bolts 25 extending through a cross frame of the derrick and through lugs 26 projecting laterally from the respective sides of rear wall 19.

The pulley 14 is suspended above the storage frame, and the hoisting cable 16 extend; ing over said pulley is fixed to a drum 27 journaled on cross plate 21. A gear 28 is fixed to the shaft of the drum at the side of the storage frame, and is engaged by a pinion 29 journaled on the side of the frame and having a crank handle 30 for manually turning the same. The drum is releasably held against turning in a direction to lower hoisting cable 16, by a pawl 31 pivoted on cross plate 21 and engaging the teeth of gear 28.

A plurality of slots 32 extend lengthwise of base plate 17 and open through the front thereof, so that sucker rods may be received in said slots from the engaging member, with the collars of the couplings of saidrods resting upon the walls of the slots for suspending the rods in the derrick. Vertically elongated openings 33 are formed in front wall 20 above the respective slots and are somewhat wider than the same, so that the sucker rods suspended from the front ends of the slots may be moved rearwardly along the same to storage position in the frame. Vertical webs 34 preferably extend upwardly from base plate 17 between the respective slots and are connected to front and rear walls 20-19; and partitions 35 project forwardly from wall 20 between slots 32, and slope downwardly to upturned lips 36 at the front of base plate 17 between the slots. Apertures 37 extend through partitions 35 immediately in front of wall -20 and above base plate 17, so that any suitable locking rod may be received through the same for preventing transverse displacement of the sucker rods suspended in the storage frame in rear of front plate 20. By the construction as thus described, a sucker rod may be engaged as soon as it is withdrawn from the well by elevator 4:, the engaging member being lowered and swung laterally to receive the squared portion of the coupling of the rod between suspension arms 9 and above offsets 10, and the engaging member being then elevated relative to the rod so that the u per collar of the rod coupling rests upon bars 7 and 8 for preventing longitudinal displacement of the rod.

he sucker rod held by the engaging member is thus suspended in the derrick by cable 16, the pawl 31 looking drum 27 against rotation, and elevator 4 may therefore be immediately disengaged and lowered for connection to the next sucker rod in the well tubing. When the sucker rod is thus suspended in the recess of the engaging member, the oilsets 10 aline' horizontally with the upper coupling collar of the rod so as to provide an abutment for preventing transverse displacement of the sucker rod; and the suspension arms 9 extending upwardly from the open end of the recess in the engaging member, support the latter so that there is no tendency of the open end of the recess to tilt downwardly, thereby further insuring proper engagement of the sucker rod by the suspension means.

The squared portion of the couplin of the sucker rod fits snugly in the square recess of the engaging member, so that said engag-' ing member and the sucker rod may be turned together for unscrewing the rod from the string in the well, the swivel 13 permitting said turning movement without twisting of the cable 16.

The suspension of cable 16 from pulley 14, which depends from the crown block of the derrick, and the mounting of drum 27 to which the cable is connected, on the storage frame, supports the entire weight from the rigid crown block, and also counter-balances the sucker rods by the storage frame. The unscrewed sucker rod held by the engaging member, may therefore be readily hoisted by turning crank 30 which is manually operated with relatively little elfort, due to the gear ratio between pinion 29 and gear 28.

Asthe sucker rod is hoisted, cable 16 is also swung laterally in order to shift the rod so that elevator 4 may be connected to the next rod in the well; and the sucker rod is hoisted and swung to one side until the engaging member alines with a slot 32 of the storage frame. The engaging member having been turned to position the open end of its recess toward the slot 32, the sucker rod may be readily deposited in said slot with the lower collar of its coupling resting upon the walls of the same, and by slacking cable 16 the engaging member may then be withdrawn from the sucker rod.

Lips 36, in horizontal alinement with the lower coupling collar of the sucker rod supported in slot 32, will prevent transverse displacement of said rod from the slot, and the rod may then be moved back along the slot to any desired point in the storage frame.

The storage frame is of a construction providing maximum strength with a minimum weight, and said frame is strengthened by webs 34 so that it is adapted to support a large number of sucker rods, and the suspension of the storage frame from the rigid crown block ofthe derrick, insures proper supporting thereof even when the frame is filled. The storage frame is held against upward tilting when the weight of a sucker rod is on cable 16, by the bolts 25 rigidly securing said frame to a cross frame of the derrick.

In order that the storage frame may be adjusted so as to maintain the same level and thereby prevent twisting of the sucker rods suspended in the frame, the cables 22 are preferably connected to eye bolts 38 extending through supporting plates 24:, said eye bolts having nuts 39 threaded thereon so that by turning the same the suspension cables may be adjusted for leveling the storage frame.

I claim:

1. The combination with a well derrick having an elevator for sucker rods, of a member in said derrick adapted to engage a s'uckporting said sucker rod so as to permit disengagement and lowering of said elevator,

, said engaging member having means for preventing relative rotation between the same and sald sucker rod, a .swivelconnection between said engaging member and said hoist permitting turning of said engaging member and said sucker rod for unscrewing the latter without rotation of said hoist, and storage means in said derrick adapted to receive the disconnected sucker rod from said engaging member so as to support the sucker rod against longitudinal displacement.

2. A rod rack for a well derrick comprising a member adapted to engage a sucker rod, storage means adapted to be mounted in said derrick and receive the sucker rod from said engaging member and support the same against longitudinal displacement,a drum on said storage means, a pulley suspended in said derrick above said storage means, and a hoisting cable connected to said engaging member and extending over said pulley and fixed to said drum.

3. A rod rack comprising means for engaging a sucker rod, a storage frame for said rod, a hoist for said engaging means comprising a member suspended from a well derrick with a suspension cable extending over said member and connected at its respective ends to the storage frame and to the engaging means, means for suspending the storage frame in thewell derrick, and means for fixing the suspended frame to the side of the derrick.

4. A rod rack construction for a well derrick having an elevator, comprising a storage rack, engaging means for taking a sucker rod from the hoisted elevator, and a hoist for the engaging means whereby the latter is adapted to carry the sucker rod to the storage rack, said hoist comprising a member suspended from the well derrick and a suspension cable extending over said member with its respective ends connected to the storage rack and to the engaging means.

5. In combination, a well derrick, an elevator, a hoisting cable suspending the elevator in the derrick so that the elevator is adapted to engage a sucker rod at the derrick floor and hoist the sucker rod in the derrick, a member in the derrick adapted to engage the sucker rod suspended from the hoisted elevator and hit the sucker rod from the elevator, a storage rack in the derrick adapted to receive the sucker rod directly from the engaging member so as to suspend the sucker rod in the derrick, and means for preventing relative rotation between said engaging member and'the sucker rod, the hoisting cable for the elevator suspending the elevator in the derligick entirely independently of the storage rac 6. In combination a well derrick, an elevator, a hoisting cable suspending the elevator in the derrick so that the elevator is adapted to enga e a sucker rod at the derrick floor and hoist t e sucker rod in the derrick, a member in the derrick adapted to engage the sucker rod suspended from the hoisted elevator and lift the sucker rod from the elevator, a storage rack in the derrick adapted to receive the sucker rod directly from the engaging member so as to suspend the sucker ro in the derrick, means for preventing relative rotation between the engaging member and the sucker rod, means for suspending the engaging member in the derrick, and means permitting rotation of the engaging memer and the sucker rod relative to said suspension means, the hoisting cable for the elevator suspending the elevator in the derrick entirely independently of the storage rack.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature to this specification.

ROBERT M. TIBBETTS. 

